mcfetridge



No. 620,487. Patented Feb. 28, |899. G. A. McFETRIDGE.

INCUBATOR. (Application led Mar. 7,1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet l.

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G. A. MCFETRIDGE.

| N C U B A T 0 R (Application led Mar. 7, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

GEORGE A. MCFETRIDGE, OF BOUND BROOK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE STARINCUBATOR AND BROODER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

INCUBATOR.

l SPECIFICATION forming* part of l Letters r:Pa-.tent N0. 620,487, datedFebruary 28, 1899.

Application filed March 7, 1898. Serial No- 672,958. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that LGEORGE A.MCFETR1DGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bound Brook, in the county of Somerset and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Incubators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to incubators, and has for its object certainimprovements in the incubator shown and `described in my applicationiiled May 13, 1896, Serial No. 591,413. In my said application I haveshown a machine having a direct lire-flue at one end and an indirectfire-flue connected therewith and extending to a point near the oppositeend, where the products of combustion discharge into the tank above theegg-chamber. An indirect passage for the products of combustion isafforded by means of pipes in said tank at each side of the machinehavingl their open ends located in the opposite end of the tank to thatat which the products of combustion are discharged and terminating intheir opposite ends in stand-pipes extending upward through the top ofthe incubator, through which the products of combustion escape from themachine. v An air-flue is provided which surrounds the direct fire-flue,and an air-inlet is provided in the end of the machine, whichcommunicates with said air-flue.

It is the object of the present invention to provide improved means forincreasing or diminishing the rapidity of circulation of the products ofcombustion.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is asectional plan view. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on theline 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4t is a sectional view of a detail.

The numeral 1 indicates the incubator-casing, which may be of the usualor any preferred construction and incloses an egg-chamber 2 and aheat-chamber 3, the two chambers being separated by a diaphragm 4. Inthe end wall of the incubator I provide a direct fire-nue 5, whichextends through the incubator from top to bottom and at its upper oroutlet end is provided with a damper 6, controlled by a thermostatic bar7 of the general construction of and composed of the materials describedwith reference to the thermostatic bar shown in my. application abovementioned. Connected to and communicating with the direct iire-{iue 5 isan indirect lire-flue 8, which extends at right angles tov vsaid directfire-flue across the heat-chamber cate with the heat-chamber atvthe endof said chamber opposite that at which the products of combustiondischarge therein from the indirect re-iiue 8. Near the opposite orclosed ends of said ducts 10 10 I provide the escapelues 12 l2, one foreach duct, which iiues eX- tend vertically upward through the top of theincubator. The manner of arranging these escape-fines is as follows: Theoutlet-ducts 10 are rectangular in shape, as shown inFig. 2, and at apoint near its closed end each duct is'provided with an opening 13 inits upper side, which is adapted to receive an escape- Hue 12. Theescape-fines 12 are capable of vertical adjustment in said openings-thatis, they may be raised or lowered; but the openings 13 13 and theopenings in the top of the incubator through which these escape-duespass iit said tubes sufficiently close to hold them in any adjustedposition, as clearly showninFig.4-. Byprovidingtheseadjustable escape-iiues I can increase or diminish the rapidity of circulation of theproducts of combustion at will. Thus if the end of the eggchamberopposite the lamp should be found for any reason to receive less heatthan the lamp end of said chamber this defect can be remedied by raisingthe escape-dues 12, so that their lower ends will be near the tops ofthe outlet-lines 10. This will operate to afford a more ready passagefor the escape of `the products of combustion, and hence increase therapidity of the circulation. If it is desired to decrease thetemperature of the end of the egg-chamber opposite the lamp or if forany other reason it is found desirable to diminish the rapidity of thecirculation of the products of combustion, I lower the escape-flues 12in the outlet-ducts 10, thus obstructing, as it were, the circulation.In order that the circulation may not be entirely stopped by pressingthe ends of the escapelnes down on the bottoms of the outlet-ducts, Iincline or cut away a portion of the bottoms of said escape-dues, asindicated by the numerals 14 14.

The numeral 15 indicates the direct air-ii ue, which surrounds thedirect ireiiue 5. Connected to and communicating with the directair-flue is an indirect air-flue 16, which eX- tends across theheat-chamber and surrounds the indirect fire-due on three sides. Towardits outer end the indirect air-flue 16 communicates with a distributer16a by means of perforations 17 in the diaphragm 4, which diaphragmconstitutes the bottom of said indirect air-flue as well as of theoutlet-ducts 10. The distributer 161L in turn communicates with theegg-chamber through the perforations 17% The circulation of the heatedfresh air in the egg-chamber is the same as that described in myapplication above named. In the present case, however, the air afterpassing out of the egg-chamber through the outlets 18 passes up throughthe wall of the incubator and discharges through an openin g 19 near thetop of the incubator, which is controlled by suitable slides in theordinary manner.

The numeral 22 indicates the lamp, the chimney 23 of which extendsupward in the direct fire-fine 5.

The numerals 20 indicate the air-inlet ports, located one on either sideof the lamp, which extend vertically upward in the end Wall of thecasing and then inward at right angles to the direct air-flue, withwhich they communicate. In order to prevent any fumes arising from thelamp passing up these inlet-ports, and thereby being carried into theegg-chamber, the air-inlet ports 2O are continued downward in the formof tubes 21, the lower ends of which are below the plane of thelamp-flame. Any fumes therefore coming from the lamp will rise upwardand be dissipated by the currents of air in the room Withoutentering the air-inlet ports.

In the end Wall of the incubator opposite the lamp I provide an opening24in line with the indirect fire-flue 8, which opening is normallyclosed by means of a screw-cap 25. By removing this cap access can behad to the interior of the indirect fire-flue for the purpose ofremoving by means of a suitable implement soot and dust which from timeto time collect in said flue. By this means all danger of iire in theiiues is avoided, an even temperature in the egg-chamber is insured, andthe cause of bad odor inthe room removed.

By the gentle circulation of heated air in the egg-chamber afforded bymy construction of incubator I am enabled to utilize the moisturearising from the eggs, and hence Ihave shown no moisture-pan inconnection with the distributer 16, as the practical use of my machinehas demonstrated that no artificial moisture is required. Saiddistributer 16 is in other respects similar to the one described in myapplication above mentioned, comprising a rectangular metallic casingsecured to the end wall of the egg-chamber and to the bottom ofdiaphragm 4.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an incubator, the combination with a heat-chamber of an indirectlire-Hue discharging at one end of saidl heat-chamber, outletducts forthe products of combustion communicatin g with said heat-chamber at theopposite end thereof, and escape-lines seated in said outlet-ducts andvertically adjustable therein for the purpose set forth.

2. In an incubator, the combination with outlet-ducts for the productsof combustion, of escape-fines, having cut-away lower ends seated insaid outlet-ducts and vertically adj ustable therein to increase ordiminish the rapidity oi' circulation of the products of com bustion,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. MCFETRIDGE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. BACHE, LEIGH S. BACHE.

